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98
TATTVĀRTHA SŪTRA
—that is, at the time when it undertakes transmigratory motionit being devoid of a gross body how is effort possible on its part ?
(2) When a mobile body undertakes motion what is the rule that it follows in doing so ?
(3) How many are the types of motion and which souls are entitled to one of these types and which to another ?
- (4) What is the minimum and maximum duration of the transmigratory motion and what is the rule that determines this duration ?
(5) Does a soul take nourishment at the time of transmigratory motion or it does not; if it does not, what is the duration of this period of no nourishment and what is the rule that determines this duration ?
These questions ought to be considered even by those systems of philosophy which posit an ubiquitous soul; for with a view to accounting for rebirth they are bound to posit the moving of a subtle body and transmigratory motion. But these questions must necessarily be considered by the Jaina system inasmuch as the soul posited by it is body-sized. It is this consideration that is here undertaken in an ordered fashion, and it runs as follows :
Yoga or Activity :
The transmigratory motion is of two types—viz. straight and curved. While migrating to another place through straight motion a soul has not to undertake a new effort; for when it leaves the former body it receives a momentum produced by that body and with the help of this momentum it, without undertaking a new effort, straightaway reaches the new place like an arrow shot from the bow. The other type of motion is curved and so a soul moving through this type requires a new effort; for the momentum produced by the former body is effective only upto the place where the soul has to take a turning. As soon as the place of turning is reached the momentum produced by the former body gets slowed down. So from this place onward effort is undertaken with the help of the subtle body which happens to
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